Past #31: David Hale - drafted at #7 in the Superdraft - 129 games for NM - traded to HFC in 2010

[Mr Reliable]

He isn't getting any favours from the umps until he starts playing the ball and not the man.

He still uses his hands way too much in marking contests.

Spot on B-Rock.

Nobody else seems to notice your wisdom but I do.

If he attacked the ball and used his 200cms, long arms and 100kgs he'd be difficult to beat. But he'd rather stand there like a ****ing oak tree and push and shove.

 

[Hoser]

He's rarely looked after by the umps, despite being much taller than his opponents on most occasions. Until we have 50+ F50 entries per game I reckon he's excused, and that applies even moreso when he's the ONLY target we have deep forward.

He SHOULD be receiving frees galore for the early bodying out, as KM described in the OP, as well as for chopping of the arms. He rarely does.

Maybe the problem here is in the percieved lack of effort. The umpire may be deciding that Hale wasn't impeded in the contest because he sometimes doesn't look like he is doing all that much to actually get into the contest. Whether this is truth or just perception is irrelevant. He needs to constantly look like he is battling to get to every contest, even if it means he gives a few frees away himself. If he is being held out of a contest, throw the opponent to the ground, give away the free kick, complain to the umpire about be held out of the contest, and plant the seed in the umpires mind about what is going on. But for goodness sake, don't be softly held out of position and meekly take it.

 

[macbeth7]

hey guys sorry to jump off topic, just wondering what the go is with pratt ? why is he not playing ? ive tried to find info everywhere but nothing.

cheers

 

[Twinkletoes]

hey guys sorry to jump off topic, just wondering what the go is with pratt ? why is he not playing ? ive tried to find info everywhere but nothing.

cheers

His preseason form didn't warrant selection, and his form since hasn't done a thing to dispel his non selection either.

Originally Posted by Roo-View
Maybe the problem here is in the percieved lack of effort.

Yeah, possibly. He doesn't work hard enough consistently enough, hence the criticism. He's also immune from the umpires' looking after the forwards, as Reiwoldt is. There's your comparison I guess, as the big Arian works his ass off from go to whoa.

 

[The Big H]

How do you reckon Hale would have gone playing for the saints last night in Pattisons place? Would have kicked 10!!

 

[Hunters Host #3]

He SHOULD be receiving frees galore for the early bodying out, as KM described in the OP, as well as for chopping of the arms. He rarely does.

As I was alluding to, Hale is mostly ineffective as a forward due to the fact that he actually initiates the body contact.
1. He initiates the contact too early.
2. He initiates body on body contact when he doesn't necessarily need to (thus making him ineffective).

With his height, if he engages body contact from playing in-front he would be much better off. Unless, as the Saints showed us, the kick is to the advantage of the forward (side-dominant/backward-dominant) he could play from behind.

 

[Twinkletoes]

Yeah, he'd be sensational as a big guy who floats forward, creating a difficult matchup. He's not a natural KPF.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

How do you reckon Hale would have gone playing for the saints last night in Pattisons place? Would have kicked 10!!

If he could kick straight, bloke is frustratingly innacurate.

 

[tazaa]

I watched the Fremantle game and Sandilands went forward on SEVERAL OCCASSIONS. He timed his leap in every contest that all the marks he took had relatively no contact at all.
And this is why i dont understand how Hale doesn use his height to outmark his opponent. Baffles me. If hes infringed hell get a free. Taking the ball on the chest or wrestling with his opponent is exactly what the defender wants.
Hale is not a FF. He is not a CHF. He is a 3rd tall option and he is a resting ruckman. The fact Goldi and Hamish are ahead of him in the ruck is killing David as a player. IMO he will be at the GC in the next couple of years because Goldi and Hamish are 1 and 2 and Hale is 3. We all know this.
But hes done okay in the past 2 rounds but TBQH hes just filling space for Tarrant and Black which sucks cause Hale has shown he can be anything.

 

[Hoser]

I watched the Fremantle game and Sandilands went forward on SEVERAL OCCASSIONS.

Saw it as well. Also couldn't help but compare to the way Hale goes about it. However, in Hale's defence Freo were getting the ball in a lot quicker on most occasions. But still a frustrating comparison of styles to view.

 

[blackshadow]

It's getting ridiculous seeing the number of times he is shepherded out of the contest when the ball is not within 5 metres of the contest and I hope the club consider having a word with the umpires about it.

There are occasions when he is outright mauled off the ball and he gets nothing for it.

From where I sit it appears that one rule applies to Nick Reiwoldt and another to David Hale.

Agreed.

This photo was from Rd1 last year. It clearly shows Hale playing in front and his arm being chopped/held by a Melb defender but the umpires ignored it. Can you imagine them ignoring it if it happened to St Nick the Tearful, Fev or Franklin?

It happened several times during that game and the umpires refused to blow their whistles - one rule for some and another for others.

I'm sure not being given a fair go by umpires must affect his confidence - it would affect any player's confidence.

 

[Roobound]

I get frustrated with the way he plays forward....l dont feel he is near aggressive enough to get into position when the ball is coming towards him. If he leads he needs to body first then make his lead not just lead....David you get run down way to often because you dont push in the chest first. Also he plays from behind way to much fair enough when we are winning the ball coming forward like Riewoldt did...a lot of his goals came from penetraing kicks over the defence. When the ball is coming in hap hazard as we were doing play in front Zac Dawson is not a great defender so l can see why you play from behind because he struggles with positioning when he has to watch a defender and the ball (anyone remember that woeful effort he put in on Drewiw in last years match). But thats it from now on play in front and you may get infringed when they swipe at your arms.

 

[scottywiper]

There are clearly rules for some players, and different rules for others.
Hale cops stuff other forwards don't have to put up with because he doesn't have the profile of a Riewoldt or Fev.
It's a joke, but Giesch created this monster when he instructed the umps to look after "fair, ball players".
I wasn't aware that clause was mentioned in the rule book.
How about just umpiring to the rules as they stand?
Morons.

 

[Twinkletoes]

It's a joke, but Giesch created this monster when he instructed the umps to look after "fair, ball players".

Let's hope Giesch does his usual flip flop and states a new direction to look after "hairy, tall players". Then Hale will finally receive the umpiring support he's lacked for ages.

 

[Roo-boi]

Time do give him the boot. cant expect to get anywhere when we have a ruckman as our full forward. see you later enjoy the gold coast!

 

[GarnerSmash]

Hale should learn to demand front position. He is big enough but always seems to end up dehind his man in a stationary contest.

On other matters David should grow a rats tail to go along with his rug so that we can call him Hale Bopp. Set the Dome alight this weekend Hale Bopp.

 

[Arden]

Can be a bit difficult to keep up with the many do's of our David, so thought we should chronicle them.

Seemed to have had a trim around the back and sides this week, but neglected to thin out the thatch. Am expecting better from him next week.

 

[telemark]

Good day on the field for Hale but unfortunately not so much for the hair.

If we put a few bolts through his neck he would be a dead ringer for this fella:

 

[Boozeroo]

Note to David: Thatch noticeable in wet weather.

 

[Twinkletoes]

Note to David: Thatch noticeable in wet weather.

 

[The Other Dean]

Seemed to have had a trim around the back and sides this week, but neglected to thin out the thatch. Am expecting better from him next week.

He has advanced hair, so I'm backing him in to show drastic improvement in this area against the Swans.

(P.S. Lulz, TT.)

 

[The Other Dean]

Note to David: Thatch noticeable in wet weather.

I believe this phenomena is sometimes referred to as "wigging out".

 

[Tas]

Krusty has really impressed me this year, so far. He is no Lockett but so far this year has kicked 2.1 vs Port in the wet, with us getting pantsed in the first half. Kicked 3.2 vs Saints, with us getting pantsed from the first bounce and backed that up with 3.1 against the Eagles.

It will be a tough test for him next week as the Swans, like the Saints, love to congest the opposition's forward 50 then build attacks from defensive rebounds but he has been holding on to more marks, been wrestling a lot less and has been good with his converting kicking 8.4 from 3 games, has had 12 marks, 8 inside forward 50 and 5 of them contested.

He is on track for 60ish goals this year if he continues at this pace.

 

[Angus1]

He needs to move more. Should be making leads all the time.
He stands still far too often. I just don't get why forwards stand still. It's every backmans dream. Hale needs to make some leads and then hold his marks.
If he does this he will be in for a good year as he is the only target at the moment.

 

[shiraz]

It looks like he's got his kicking mojo back, touch wood. I especially liked it when i saw Hale, and many of the forwards to be honest, push up to HBF in the 4th. We were pretty dead on our feet. I'm sure it was coaching shenanigans, but when our forwards started to pick up possies in the backline, it seamed to be the straw that broke WC's back, when they finally lost any momentum. I mean, they were pretty much out of it anyway, their only hope was to overrun tired defenders. When they saw relatively fresh forwards pushing up to help out, that's when they really gave up, and it was a joy to see the game iced before the final siren.

I'm sure everyone is well aware, but I'd like to reinforce...

Hale 3
Anthony 3
Warren 2
Edwards 2
Thomas 2

Great spread of multiple goal kickers.